Tauro apygardos Vytauto rinktinės 4-oji kuopa

LTStraipsnio tikslas – remiantis Lietuvos ypatingajame archyve (toliau – LYA) saugomų dokumentų analize, pristatyti trumpą vieno specifiškiausių Lietuvos partizaninio judėjimo junginių veiklos istoriją. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Tauro apygarda; Vytauto rinktinė; Lietuvos partizaninis judėjimas; Tauras district; Vytautas team; Lithuanian partisan movement.

ENPost-war resistance is one of the least studied periods in Lithuanian history. During last 30 years of the existence of independent Lithuania, the post-war period was mainly discussed in the memories of nonprofessional enthusiasts or participants of the events of that period. The literature of enduring value in this field was mainly created by their efforts. In the present article, from the point of view of a professional historian, an attempt is made to review the history of one of the more special associations created by the participants of the resistance to the occupation of the USSR after the Second World War in Lithuania, i.e. the history of the Ožys Squad (Goat Squad) (the name comes from the nickname Adolfas Valenta – Ožys (the Goat)). In 1946, this platoon became an integral part of the large resistance centre of Southern Lithuania, i.e. Tauras district, and was named the 4th Troop. This troop became responsible for the safe crossing of the Polish-USSR border and contributed to the strengthening of the Lithuanian resistance governance relations with the Lithuanian emigration centres in Western Europe. The article reveals the beginning of the formation of the platoon, the places of its deployment, it defines the boundaries of the platoon’s activities, and analyses the nature of several operations performed by the platoon. The article shows that without the strong support of the local population, the platoon could not have existed, i.e. the resistance of the platoon to the USSR’s occupation in the region was largely overall. [From the publication]